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Publication No. 3 

Mushroom Culture 

and 

Pure Culture Spawn 




Seventh Edition 



PRICE 35 CENTS 



COPYRIGHT 1912 

BY 

AMERICAN SPAWN COMPANY 

ST. PAUL, MINN. 



«$• IMIllllHlCIIWIH ti r m ill H IIin tM^ 

LOUIS F. DOW CO.. ST. PAUL. 



Suggestions to Growers 



(PRESERVE FOR REFERENCE) 

A simple method for the preparation of a small bed for amateurs and 
beginners is described on page 25. 

For varieties of mushrooms, see page 23 and the illustrations. 

Retail prices of spawn are given on page 22. 

Before ordering from your dealer do not fail to read chapter 18, page | 

21. The practice of ordering by the pound should be discontinued. Order | 

by the brick and enclose remittance with your order. Specify the kind of j 
brick wanted, whether "Standard" or "Direct." See page 23. 

For lawns and pastures, inquire from your dealer for special stock. See j 
page 16. 

Commercial growers who are supplying the market will find it to their j 

| advantage to enclose in each basket, printed recipes for cooking and pre- | 

serving mushrooms. It is surprising how many people abstain from buying 1 

i mushrooms because they do not know and cannot learn how to prepare them. 

1 Valuable recipes will be found on pages 26 to 30. 

1 § 

One brick of Lambert's Pure Culture Spawn will plant 8 square feet of | 

1 bed. I 



The whole secret in raising mushrooms lies in the control of atmospheric 
conditions, temperature and moisture, and in the proper preparation of the 
compost. (See pages 6 to 12.) 

If you desire our further publications on the subject of Mushroom Cul- 
ture, please advise the American Spawn Co., St. Paul, Minn. See page 32. 



I 



Publication No. 3 



Mushroom Culture 

and 

Pure Culture Spawn 




PRICE 35 CENTS 



COPYRIGHT 1912 

BY 

AMERICAN SPAWN COMPANY 

ST. PAUL, MINN. 






TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page 

Preface 3 

1 The cultivated mushroom 4 

2 Market conditions 4 

3 General considerations 5 

4 Temperature and moisture 6 

5 Caves, cellars, and houses 8 

6 Preparation of the compost 9 

7 Installation of beds 12 

8 Spawning and casing the beds 12 

9 Watering 14 

10 Picking and preparing for market 14 

11 Old beds 16 

12 Open air culture 16 

13 Mushroom enemies 17 

14 Mushroom spawn 19 

15 The vitality of mushroom spawn 20 

16 Storage of spawn 20 

17 Pure culture spawn 21 

18 How and when to order spawn 21 

19 Price of pure culture spawn 22 

20 Pure culture varieties 23 

21 Trademark i 24 

22 Special hints on cultivation •_ 25 

23 An easy method for the amateur 25 

24 How to cook mushrooms 26 

25 How to preserve mushrooms ,. 30 

26 Poisonous and edible mushrooms 31 

27 Our publications 32 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Cat. No. 7, Brown '-- V ', opposite page 

Cat. No. 8, Cream White ._./_*_' 

Cat. No. 9, White 

Cat. No. 10, Light Brown 

Cat. No. 11, Cream 

Cat. No. 12, Cream 

A Cluster of Mushrooms ^ 

Pure Culture Spawn 

# . -3 "'""" 



9 

12 
13 
20 
21 
24 
25 



PREFACE 



To the Mushroom Growers: 

Numerous inquiries for reliable information on the best method 
of growing mushrooms are constantly received, and we have taken 
this method of answering them collectively. While many failures 
in mushroom growing are attributable to poor spawn, it is also true 
that good spawn will give poor or negative results where the essen- 
tial principles of cultivation have been disregarded. 

The manufacturer of a high grade of mushroom spawn is equal- 
ly interested with the grower in acquainting him with the latest 
developments of science in mushroom growing. He may thus be 
instrumental in removing many causes of failure which the unin- 
formed grower would otherwise charge to the spawn. 

The discovery of the "pure culture" method of making spawn 
and the resulting segregation of the varieties carries with ic the 
consequent necessity for careful selection of the varieties to be 
planted, under the varying conditions surrounding different grow- 
ers, with a view of avoiding serious mistakes and obtaining maxi- 
mum results. 

Notwithstanding some extravagant statements which have recent- 
ly found their way into print, it is certain that the millennium 
has not yet been reached in mushroom culture or in spawn making. 
However, the discovery of pure culture spawn has marked a new 
era in the history of this industry; important and positive results 
have been obtained, phenomenal crops have been raised under 
proper conditions; but maximum results are only possible by the 
application of scientific principles and the adoption of the most 
approved methods of cultivation. 

We will, therefore, make known from time to time, in subse- 
quent publications, the latest developments in mushroom culture, 
based upon practical experience, provided we are furnished with the 
name and address of the parties desiring to receive the same. 

AMERICAN SPAWN COMPANY, 

St. Paul, Minn. 

NOTE — The first sixteen chapters of this publication are based upon extracts from the reports 
of Dr. B. M. Duggar, of -the Department of Argiculture. 



1. The Cultivated Mushroom 

In the United States the term "mushroom" refers commercially 
to but a single species (Agaricus campestris) of the fleshy fungi, 
a plant common throughout most of the temperate regions of the 
world, and one everywhere recognized as edible. From the time 
of Pliny, and perhaps much earlier, this plant has been sought as 
an article of diet, and it has been cultivated for many centuries. 
In the vicinity of Paris it has certainly been cultivated in some 
quantity since the sixteenth century; and, in paintings of market 
scenes by old masters of the seventeenth century, a basket of 
mushrooms frequently finds a place in the composition, thus show- 
ing that at that time the sale of mushrooms was generally recog- 
nized in a commercial way. 

The fully expanded plant, or mature mushroom (sporophore), 
of Agaricus campestris is well known to every one. It consists of 
a centrally placed stock or stipe of from 2 to 6 inches in height, 
usually not more than one inch in diameter, and on the end of this 
stipe there is borne an umbrella-shaped or cap-shaped portion 
known as the cap or pileus. The diameter and thickness of this 
pileus vary in different races or varieties of the cultivated form, 
and also with the conditions of the environment under which it 
is produced. The general color of the plant varies in the different 
varieties from an almost pure white, or cream, to the forms which 
are deep brown, at least with reference to the upper surface of the 
cap. The stem is usually cream or white, and bears on its upper 
extremity near the cap a ring known as the annulus, which annulus 
forms a covering and a protecting layer for the delicate under sur- 
face of the cap, to the edges of which it was attacked previous to 
the rapid expansion and maturity of the latter. The under surface 
of the cap is provided with leaflike or gill-like projections, reach- 
ing for the most part from the stem to the periphery of the cap. 
These are termed gills, or "lamellae." They are constantly pink 
in color in the white or cream-colored species up to the time of (and 
sometimes even a day after) the separation of the ring from the 
cap. Subsequently these gills turn brown and even a deep brown- 
ish black. In the brown variety the gills are at first grayish brown 
but they also become almost black with age. 



2. Market Conditions 

The successful cultivation of mushrooms in America has not 
been so general as in most of the European countries. It is in 
France and England that the mushroom industry has been best 
developed. France is, properly speaking, the home of the present 
mushroom industry. Unusual interest has been shown in the 
United States in the growth of mushrooms within the past few 

4 



years, and it is to be hoped and expected that within the next ten 
years the industry will develop to the fullest limit of the market 
demands. The latter will, of course, be stimulated and developed 
by the increasing popular appreciation of this product. In some 
cities and towns there is already a good market demand for mush- 
rooms, while in others they may be sold only directly to special 
customers. This should be borne in mind by prospective growers. 

In the vicinity of Paris the mushroom industry has been remark- 
ably developed during the past eight or ten years. The total prod- 
uct sold through the central market of Paris in 1898 was nearly 
4,000,000 pounds; the quantity for 1900 is given as approximately 
8,500,000 pounds, and for 1901 nearly 10,000,000 pounds. 
These figures show most convincingly the present status of the 
mushroom industry in France. It may be safely assumed that more 
than one-third of this quantity is consumed in a fresh state in and 
about the city. The growth of the canning industry during this 
period has also been remarkable. In 1898 about 1,800,000 pounds 
were preserved, while in 1901 the canned product amounted to 
nearly 6,200,000 pounds. During 1901 the approximate monthly 
production of mushrooms ranged from 651,000 pounds to 985,000 
pounds, from which it is evident that these caves yield heavily 
throughout the year. In some instances growers are able to get a 
crop every four or five months. 

It is extremely difficult to estimate the quantity of mushrooms 
grown in the United States. It is certain, however, that the pro- 
duction has increased very greatly, and particularly within the last 
.four or five years. In the vicinity of several of our larger cities 
there are today individual growers who produce more than the 
total commercial output in the neighborhood of those cities ten 
years ago. 

There is now a very good open market for fresh mushrooms in 
a few of the larger cities, although many large growers continue 
to sell entirely by contract or by special orders to hotels and res- 
taurants. With such an enormous comparative consumption of the 
canned product, there is every reason to believe that fresh mush- 
rooms can be sold in much greater quantity as soon as this product 
becomes a certain factor in the market. 



General Considerations 



In the United States fresh mushrooms have only recently been 
of any importance commercially, although florists and gardeners 
of English and French training have long been successful growers 
on a small scale. Nevertheless, during the past decade or so, the 
record of failures has been most conspicuous, and it is certain that 
of the many who attempted this work, only a few, relatively, were 
uniformly successful. 



The conditions under which mushrooms may be successfully 
grown are limited, and intelligent attention is therefore essential. 
It must be said, moreover, that the majority of failures may be 
directly traced to erroneous ideas as to the cultural requisites, or to 
a reckless disregard of conditions. The essential conditions, will 
be subsequently defined in detail, but it may be stated here that 
failures are usually due to one or more of the" following causes: 
(1) Poor spawn; (2) very poor manure; 3) unfavorable temper- 
ature; and (4) heavy watering during the early stages of growth. 

Under suitable conditions mushrooms may be grown with assur- 
ance of success. Ordinarily they are grown only where the con- 
ditions may be controlled, and success should therefore be invariable. 



4. Temperature and Moisture 



Mushrooms may be grown* in any place where the conditions of 
temperature and moisture are favorable. A shed, cellar, cave, or 
vacant space in a greenhouse may be utilized to advantage for this 
purpose. The most essential factor, perhaps, is that of temper- 
ature. The proper temperature ranges from 53 deg. to 60 deg, F., 
with the best from 55 to 58 deg. F. It is unsafe to attempt to grow 
mushrooms on a commercial basis, according to our present knowl- 
edge of the subject, at a temperature much less than 50 deg. or 
greater than 63 deg. F. Any severe changes of temperature retard 
growth, or else act injuriously, and many changes of temperature 
would entirely destroy the profits of the mushroom crop. From 
this it is evident that in many places mushrooms may not be grown 
as a summer crop. With artificial heat they may be grown almost 
anywhere throughout the winter. Moreover, it is very probable 
that in this country open-air culture must be limited to a few sec- 
tions, and restricted, commercially at least, to a single season. 

It is very probable that the exact temperature which may be con- 
sidered an optimum will vary somewhat in different sections of 
the country. It will be noted later in detail that the temperature 
factor acts not so directly upon the growth of the spawn or the 
production of mushrooms as indirectly to render some other con- 
ditions of the environment injurious. It is best to consider that 
in practice the optimum temperature for mushroom growing varies 
from 53 deg. to 58 deg. F. 

It was soon definitely ascertained that the conditions of pure 
culture growth are essentially different from those attending the 
growth of mushroom spawn in the bed. This was perhaps best in- 
dicated by comparing spawn grown in pots at 85 deg. F. under im- 
pure conditions with similar spawn grown at 50 deg. F. At the 
former temperature, even though the conditions of moisture were 
properly maintained, there was little or no growth. Foreign fungi, 
molds, and bacteria, as well as insects, were, however, abundant. 



At the lower temperature there was little or no evideni appearance 
of other fungi, molds, or insects; yet the mushroom spawn grows 
slowly and continuously so long as other conditions are maintained. 
From numerous experiments of this nature, it is apparent that the 
temperature relation is one which is governed by the competition 
to which the mushroom spawn is subject in the bed. This is, of 
course, wholly in accord with the results obtained from the study 
of the relative growth made by mushroom spawn in fresh and 
composted manure. 

The statement previously made, therefore, that the optimum tem- 
perature may vary slightly in different localities is true on account 
of the fact that the mites, insects, and other animal pests of mush- 
room growing may vary considerably in different localities, or un- 
der different conditions, even though there may not be a great varia- 
tion, perhaps, in the bacterial and fungus flora of the compost upon 
which the mushrooms are grown. Certain insects, for example, 
are more abundant in a moist climate, but if special precautions 
can be taken to eliminate all such pests, the growth problem is 
confined to the interrelation existing between the mushroom spawn 
and the microscopic flora of the compost. Mushrooms grown in 
the open will probably show greater variation with reference to 
the temperature factor than those grown in caves or cellars. 

The direct effect of a temperature above the optimum upon the 
aporophores is manifest through lengthening of the stipes and rapid 
expansion of the caps, ordinarily accompanied by toughness and 
decreased size. In other words, the lower grade market product 
is produced at the higher temperature. 

The moisture factor is also one of importance. It is undesirable 
that the place in which mushrooms are grown should be very damp, 
or dripping with water. Nevertheless, a fairly moist condition of 
the atmosphere should be maintained throughout the growing and 
productive period. There should be a gradual but slight evapora- 
tion from the surface of the beds and sufficient ventilation to insure 
this, is believed to be essential. It is certain that in poorly venti- 
lated caves mushrooms do not succeed. On the other hand, in a 
dry atmosphere, or exposed to drying winds, mushroom beds soon 
cease to bear, while such sporophores as are developing may have 
their caps cracked or torn. 



5. Caves, Cellars and Houses 

Cellars, caves, and abandoned mines, or specially constructed 
houses are used for growing mushrooms, because in such places 
only can the conditions of temperature and moisture be best regu- 
lated. Cold is less injurious to mushroom beds than heat. The 




former renders the bed for a time unproductive; but the latter 
stimulates the spawn to too rapid growth, which is usually fol- 
lowed by the production of unsalable mushrooms, or by the eventual 
death of the spawn, supposedly by damping off. 




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Mushrooms may often be grown in a very simply constructed 
shed or unused barn which will provide against any sudden 
changes of the temperature, and when it is possible to employ 
artificial heat the season for mushroom production in such struc- 
tures may be greatly extended. Cellars are very commonly used 
in producing mushrooms for family use. Natural or artificial 
caves are of the first importance, however, for commercial work, 
since the situation of these below the surface will best insure a 
temperature throughout almost the entire year more or less close 
to that which is desired. In selecting caves or cellars, one should 
guard against the possibility of flooding or of too much seepage 
water during a rainy season. Perhaps the least satisfactory situation 
among those mentioned is the greenhouse. Under ordinary cir- 
cumstances it heats up too readily during the days of warm sunshine 
and, unless special precautions are taken, it is not to be generally 
recommended for amateurs. Nevertheless, during the fall and 
winter it is possible to grow mushrooms under the benches or in 
any other unused space with but very little outlay of money or 
labor. Cold frames may also be used to good advantage during 
the autumn or spring. The natural caves of this country and 
abandoned coal mines in some sections should be further investi- 
gated with relation to their adaptability for the commercial pro- 
duction of mushrooms. A thorough study should also be made 
of open air conditions. 




BOIt-tR 




PFR5PECT/I/E OP HEATINq P/PP5. 

In the construction of special mushroom houses any one of a 
variety of plans may be followed, and the selection of the style 
will depend, of course, upon its cheapness and efficiency in the 
particular locality. 

6. Preparation of the Compost 



It is not to be understood that there is one and only one method 
of preparing compost for mushroom growing. Nor is it always 



necessary that the compost shall be in one particular stage of fer- 
mentation or decay. In fact, every change of condition elsewhere 
may necessitate a similar change in the amount of fermentation 
which may be most desirable. At the outset it should be under- 
stood that it is not the "fermentation" that is absolutely essential. 
The "fermentation" is of itself a minor matter. 

The rapid oxidation action of bacteria, and perhaps of inde- 
pendent ferments, upon manure causes a considerable rise of tem- 
perature. At the higher temperatures (which may be maintained 
as long as there are present rapidly oxidizable food products) bac- 
terial action is vigorous, and is unquestionably injurious to mycelial 
development. Wholly aside from the rise of temperature accom- 
panying their activities, bacteria are otherwise injurious. In fact, 
manure which is put to test in a small test tube shows little or 
no rise of temperature above that of the place in which it is incu- 
bated. Nevertheless, the mycelium of the mushroom will not grow 
under such conditions. Rapid bacterial action is therefore preju- 
dicial. Under those conditions where bacterial action is not rapid, 
fresh manure might be used to advantage; in other words, if the 
beds are so constructed that the manure ferments very gradually, 
without either excessive bacterial action or rise of temperature, 
then spawning might be made in fresh manure. 

The old belief that rotten manure does not have the necessary 
strength — that is, does not produce so vigorous a mushroom growth 
as that which has been less transformed by bacterial action — has 
been confirmed by practical experiments. This loss of effectiveness 
is probably due, in part, to a change in texture or to other physical 
changes. In well-rotted manure there is ample food material to 
support a very good growth of mycelium^in pure cultures. This 
has been chemically proved by sterilizing such manure and growing 
mushroom spawn upon it in pure culture. Nevertheless, beds 
prepared with well-fermented manure and left for some time before 
spawning do not yield so well. It is believed that here the physical 
condition has much to do with the result. 

The latter does not by any means invalidate the following prac- 
tice, which has commended itself to some very successful growers. 
The manure is piled in very large compost heaps, where it is kept 
moist and is turned only once or twice. It ferments very slowly. 
Then it is carted into the cave or mushroom house, long before it 
could be considered in proper condition to be spawned. The beds 
(usually flat when this is the prodecure) are made immediately. 
These are fairly well moistened and compressed, then left to under- 
go a general fermentation, which may require a month. When the 
manure shows a tendency to fall to the temperature of the room 
it is spawned. Meanwhile, it will doubtless be found that a heavy 
crop of some small species of Coprinus will have appeared. The 
presence of this fungus is not injurious, but rather it may be taken 
as an indication that the conditions are favorable. 

Ordinarily the manure is obtained as fresh as possible. It should 
include the straw used in bedding the animals, and the quantity 



of the straw will determine to some extent the value of the manure. 
The straw of cereals is far better than that of most other grasses. 
The more resistant straws seem greatly to improve the texture 
of the compost for mushroom purposes. Commercially it is a mis- 
take to attempt to get the manure free from straw. If fresh ma- 
nure is not obtainable, that which has been trampled by the ani- 
mals is ordinarily rich, well preserved, and desirable. It ferments 
best in large piles, and these may be of considerable extent, about 
3 or 4 feet deep throughout. If not uniformly moist, the material 
should be sprinkled. At no time is a very heavy watering desirable. 
In from four days to a week or more the compost should be turned, 
or forked over, and a second turning will be required a week or 
ten days later. Water should be added only when necessary to 
maintain a moist (but no twet) condition. With this amount of 
moisture, and with the piles deep enough to become fairly compact 
as a result of their own weight, there will be little danger of any 
injurious fermentation. During the normal fermentation the tem- 
perature may rise higher than 150 deg. F. In from fifteen to 
twenty-one days or more, depending upon the conditions, tem- 
perature will begin to fall, and the compost may be used in the 
construction of the beds. When used in the beds, it has ordinarily 
lost all objectionable odor, and the color of the straw has changed 
from yellow to brown. 

It has been the experience of some of the most successful growers 
that the use of shavings for bedding material in the stables does not 
injure the value of the product for mushroom work. The presence 
of a large amount of sawdust is, however, objectionable so far as 
the writer's experience goes. Compost containing much sawdust is 
necessarily very "short," and therefore the physical condition is 
not the most favorable for Agaricus campestris. 

In another chapter attention is called to the fact that the value 
of the manure depends to a considerable extent upon the feed given 
the animals. It would not be wise to depend upon that obtained 
from stables in which hay and green foods are used to too great 
an extent. Moreover, it is not believed that compost made from 
the manure of cattle barns in mushroom growing is as desirable as 
stable manure. 

In some cities the municipal ordinances require that the manure 
shall be promptly removed from the feeding stables or that it shall 
be disinfected. In the latter case crude carbolic acid, or even cor- 
rosive sublimate, may be used to secure this end. Manure thus dis- 
infected is, of course, undesirable for mushroom work. For the 
same reason the manure of veterinary hospitals is of questionable 
value. 

For the most part manure may be composted in the open air. 
It may, however, be prepared with greater uniformity under cover. 
During midsummer, protection may be desirable on account of dry- 
ing out, while in the winter it is more important in case of excessive 
cold. If it is necessary to compost manure during the winter, more- 
over, the piles should be of considerable depth. 



7. Installation of beds 

Mushroom beds are of two general types, (1) the flat bed, frequently 
referred to as the English, and (2) the ridge bed, known as the French 
type. In making the former the entire floor space may be utilized 
as a bed, and the beds may be arranged in the form of tiers or shelves, 
as shown in the figure. In low cellars or caves, and, indeed, wherever 
the amount of floor space is not the most important consideration, 
it would be well to avoid the use of shelves; but where the amount 
of floor space is an important factor they may be adopted to advan- 
tage, although the additional labor involved in the growing of a crop 
under such conditions is an item to be considered. When the shelves 
are used one should be careful to whitewash these after each crop, 
in order to avoid the increased danger from insect depredations. 
In any case, flat beds should be made from eight to ten inches deep. 

Ridge beds enable one to get a somewhat greater surface space 
in a given area, but they are also more expensive, so far as the labor 
of construction is concerned. Nevertheless, under many circum- 
stances they are obviously desirable. They should be about 2 feet 
wide at the base, tapering gradually to the apex, and not more than 
about 18 to 20 inches high when compressed and cased. The cus- 
tom is to make two such beds in contact and then to leave a walk way 
of 8 or 10 inches between the next two, and so on till the space is 
occupied. Next to the walls slanting beds may be prepared. 

In any case, the manure is made up in the form of the bed desired, 
and should be firmed or compressed up in the form of the bed de- 
sired, in order to prevent drying out and burning when the second 
fermentation takes place. At this time the manure should be neither 
wet nor dry, but merely moist. The only practical test of the proper 
moisture content of the manure which can be relied upon is when 
upon compression water can not readily be squeezed out of it. 

The prevalent opinion among amateurs that the bed should always 
be deep enough to maintain a considerable heat is believed to be 
erroneous. Grown under more or less uniform conditions, mush- 
rooms seem to require no bottom heat, and the bed should fall to 
the temperature of the room some time after spawning. Bottom 
heat, and hence large beds, are, however, desirable when sudden 
changes of weather would so reduce the temperature of the bed as 
to delay growth. Under similar conditions, as well as in dry air, 
mulching may be required. 



8. Spawning and Casing the beds 



From what has been said concerning the temperature. requirements 
it will be evident that spawn should not be inserted in the beds until 
the temperature has fallen low enough to insure successful competi- 



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tion on the part of the mycelium with other organisms. In many 
articles on mushroom growing, it has been suggested that beds may 
be spawned when the temperature has fallen to about 90 deg. F. 
From experience and observation, the writer can only conclude that 
such a temperature is frequently fatal, and it is believed that the 
temperature of the beds should be permitted to fall to 70 deg. F. 
before being spawned. In fact, the most successful results have been 
obtained at temperatures from 65 deg. to 70 deg. F. It was former- 
ly believed that if the spawn were inserted at 90 deg. F. this higher 
temperature incited the rather dormant mycelium to rapid and vig- 
orous growth. It is clear, however, that the rapid development 
of the new mycelium from the pieces of spawn brick inserted is 
not so important a factor as suitable conditions for continued growth. 
If the temperature falls rapidly from 90 deg. F. after spawning, 
however, no injury may result. Nevertheless, it is to be considered 
an unfortunate condition. 



The bricks of spawn may be broken into from ten to twelve 
pieces, from 1 1-2 to 2 inches square. These pieces may be inserted 
about 1 inch beneath the surface of the manure. In flat beds they 
may be placed from 10 to 12 inches apart throughout the bed, and in 
ridge beds should be inserted on each side alternately, one near the 
top and the next near the bottom. It is well to insert the pieces 
vertically, as the mycelium does not then seem so readily to suffer 
damping off. After spawning, the beds should again be firmed, 
and they are then ready to be cased or loamed whenever this process 
may seem most desirable. At the time of spawning the beds 
should be in the best condition possible for the growth of the my- 
celium. Delay in growth at this time is one of the surest indica- 
tions of a light yield. If the bed contains the proper amount of 
moisture, and if the walls and floors of the house or cellar are sprinkled 
occasionally, so as to maintain a moist condition of the atmosphere, 
it is possible to avoid wholly the use of water upon the beds immediat- 
ely after spawning. In no case should a bed recently spawned be 
heavily watered. The surface may be sprinkled, if there is a ten- 
dency toward drying out. The same test for moisture content as 
has been outlined previously in these pages in the chapter on preparing 
the manure should be followed. The beds should become gradually 
somewhat drier, however, during the growth of the spawn. 

The absolute water content for the bed at the time of spawning 
should be about 40 per cent, although this will vary considerably, 
according to the conditions, and especially with relation to the quan- 
tity of straw in the manure. 

If the spawn grows rapidly at first and spreads throughout the 
bed, it will not be injured by a slight drying out, or by a temperature 
even as low as 32 deg. F. On the other hand, a continuous high 



temperature for several days, or excessive watering, is sure to re- 
sult in an irreparable injury. In several instances where the ex- 
perimental beds of the writer have been made during the late autumn 
and where a vigorous growth of spawn has been secured before the 
advent of the coldest weather, the beds have remained unproductive 
throughout the winter months, or so long as the temperature re- 
mained intermittently below 40 deg. or 50 deg. F. With the warmer 
weather, these beds have come into bearing several months later, 
and where the temperature has then remained favorable for some 
time a good yield has been obtained. In this case, moreover, the bed 
will bear much longer at a temperature of 60 deg. F. or above, than 
if the temperature has been constantly in the neighborhood of 60 
deg F. throughout the growing season of the spawn. As a rule, 
beds thus filled with spawn and then subjected for a time to cold 
conditions yield at the outset much larger mushrooms than beds 
exposed to a more constant temperature, even if this constant tem- 
perature may be optimum. 

At any rate, the beds must be "cased" as soon as convenient after 
the spawn is inserted. As a rule, one should wait from one to two 
weeks in order to be sure that the spawn is growing. Casing con- 
sists in applying to the bed a layer of loam from 1 to 1 1-2 inches deep. 
In France the casing soil consists usually of calcareous earth, some- 
times mixed with loam. Ordinary loam of almost any quality will 
suffice. This should be secured in advance, and it is well to protect 
it from the weather, so that at a convenient time it may be worked 
over, and if necessary screened, in order to free it from large pebbles 
or trash. When the loam is applied, it should, on ridge beds, be 
carefully firmed. When cased, a bed should require watering for 
the most part merely to maintain a moist surface. 



9. Watering 

As previously indicated, the spreading spawn should receive 
no water, or at least as little as possible. When, however, the mush- 
rooms begin to appear, more water will be required, and a light 
sprinkling may be given once or twice each week, or as often as the 
conditions demand. Beds which come into bearing in proper con- 
dition should never be drenched. It has been found by experience 
that under the most favorable conditions a bed will require occasional 
sprinkling, since, owing to continual evaporation, there will be a grad- 
ual loss of water, at least after the mushrooms begin to appear. 
Sprinkling should be made after the mushrooms have been gathered, 
and the loam disturbed by the removal of the mushrooms should 
always receive a light sprinkling. 

10. Picking and Preparing for Market 

When a bed is in full bearing the mushrooms should be gathered 
at least once in two days, and it is well to pick them every day, 

14 



particularly if the temperature is up to 60 deg. F. or more. Picking 
is itself an art, and the intelligent owner will soon find that the yield 
of a bed may be greatly lessened by lack of judgment in picking. 
To satisfy the general demands of our markets at the present time 
it is not recommended to take the buttons; yet, if there is a fancy 
trade for these it should be met. Little or no gain of weight occurs 
in the mushroom, however, after the veil begins to break, so that 
mushrooms should not be left after this time. Flat tops are a third- 
grade article, but these, as well as all defective mushrooms, should be 
sedulously removed from the bed every day. 

In picking, grasp the mushroom by the cap (a large one by both 
cap and stem,) twisting it to remove it easily from the soil. Where 
the mushrooms come up in large united clusters, it will be best to 
cut them, in order not to disturb the mycelial connections of all. 
Some good growers practice "cutting" throughout, but the stubs must 
decay and are a source of danger. After all good mushrooms 
from a cluster have been taken, remove any fleshy spawn masses 
adhering and add fresh loam. 

As they are picked the mushrooms are put into shallow baskets 
and taken to a sorting and packing table. The stems are cut off 
and any adhering loam is brushed from the cap. It is true that 
mushrooms keep somewhat better if the stub is left attached and 
the loam removed by rubbing, but except in special cases this pro- 
cedure is not to be recommended. It is not necessary to cut the stem 
off short, but the market demands that there shall be few long shanks. 




Four pounds Mushrooms in each basket. Grown from Lambert's Pure 
Culture Spawn. 



For the best trade it is desirable to "sort" the mushrooms, placing 
only those of nearly the same size in the same packages. It is cer- 
tainly not well to pack together "broilers" and buttons, if this can 
be avoided. Defective mushrooms should invariably be thrown out. 
Mushrooms should be treated as a first grade product in every 
way, and therefore the package must be attractive. If the time in- 
volved in shipment is not to be very long, they may be put into 5 
pound splintwood baskets, or they may be packed in 2 pound boxes 
arranged in crates as prepared for fruit. Shipment may also be made 
in boxes of sizes demanded by the general or private trade. Bas- 
kets afford excellent ventilation, yet boxes are often to be preferred. 
If the latter are lined with a blue paraffin or oiled paper, a good color 
contrast will result and the package will be made much more at- 
tractive. 

Under favorable circumstances, a bed may come into bearing with- 
in six weeks. It usually requires, however, a longer period, and 
eight weeks may more nearly represent the average conditions. 
If the conditions have been variable, and especially if at times a 
very low temperature has prevailed, bearing may be still further de- 
layed. Again, the period of production or the profitable "life" 
of a successful bed may vary greatly, ranging from five weeks to 
as many months. As a rule, a bed which produces fine heavy 
mushrooms will bear longer than one which yields plants of lighter 
weight. Many growers think that there is profit in a bed which 
yields one-half pound per square foot of surface area. One should 
not be satisfied with less than this, and if the best conditions prevail 
this yield is far below what should be obtained. Two pounds per 
square foot is an excellent yield and some of our growers report this 
amount. 

11. Old Beds 

When a bed has ceased to bear, or is no longer profitable com- 
mercially, it should be taken down and every particle of the bedding 
and casing materials removed from the cave, cellar or house. The 
manure is still valuable for field and garden purposes, but it is wholly 
useless and even dangerous for mushrooms, because it is not only ex- 
hausted with reference to mushroom growing but may also harbor 
the diseases or enemies of the mushroom. When the bed is removed 
the house should be thoroughly cleaned, and if possible, sprayed or 
fumigated. If conditions remain constant, there is then no reason 
why another crop should not follow immediately. 



12. Open Air Culture 

In some sections of England and France open air culture of mush- 
rooms in beds is practicable during the late autumn and winter months 
in which case the productive period may extend into the spring. 

16 



The difficulties in the way of open air culture are not merely those of 
maintaining a more or less uniform temperature, but also of main- 
taining practically constant conditions of moisture. For these 
reasons it is necessary to mulch the beds heavily with clean straw. 
In some instances a light mulch of straw is permitted to remain 
even during the period of production, for a rapid drying out of the 
surface would be hazardous or fatal. It is better, perhaps, to put 
the beds under some form of protection, such as an improvised cold 
frame. 

In regions where the climatic changes are marked, open-air culture 
is probably not to be recommended during any season for commer- 
cial purposes. It is probable that there are some areas in the United 
States in which open-air culture might be practised with profit. 
It has seemed that certain sections of California might be favorable 
for this phase of the work. In the interest of experiments along 
this line the writer has made a special attempt to acquaint himself 
with the conditions in that section of the country. This has seemed 
particularly desirable, inasmush as fresh mushrooms could not be 
shipped to the far West from sections in which they are at present 
grown in quantity. From the information obtained it is thought 
that successful open air mushroom growing might be anticipated 
in those sections where the average temperature is between 48 deg. 
and 55 deg. F., provided there are relatively few days when the tem- 
perature falls as low as 32 deg. F. At the same time, open air cul- 
ture cannot be recommended for those sections in which dry winds 
are prevalent. As a rule, during the wet or winter season the rain- 
fall is so light that heavy mulching would probably suffice to prevent 
injury from excessive wetting. Nevertheless, it seems apparent 
that even in regions most favorable for open-air culture some inex- 
pensive partial protection against the changes of temperature due 
to direct sunlight, or against heavy rainfall, would be desirable. 

LAWNS AND PASTURES— Lawns and pastures may be inocu- 
lated by breaking a piece of spawn in four pieces and inserting the 
same under the sod about two feet apart. Plant in the summer 
and if the season is not too wet mushrooms will appear in the fall. 
Avoid depressions where water would remain stagnant, as an excess 
of moisture destroys the spawn. Since weather conditions render 
open air culture rather uncertain, the use of fresh high grade spawn 
might be considered expensive. It is often possible, in such case, 
to obtain from dealers at a much reduced price, spawn which has 
been kept in stock for some time and cannot therefore be sold as 
strictly fresh. The grower, thus incurring no expense in the prepara- 
tion of beds, runs no chance beyond the small outlay for the spawn. 

13. Mushroom Enemies 

Under suitable conditions and with the exercise of constant 
vigilance as to general cleanliness the mushroom bed will seldom fail 
as a result of diseases or insect depredations. Nevertheless, every 



precaution should be taken to avoid these difficulties. Some of the 
most common troubles reported in this country are as follows: 



Fogging Off — During the pin-head or button stage, and some- 
times even later, the mushrooms which may be appearing in quan- 
tity, turn brown, cease to grow, and soon decay. This is supposed 
to be a physiological trouble; that is, one caused by a lack of essential 
conditions. Molds and bacteria may play a secondary part at least 
in producing this disease. It is most frequent in warm weather. 



-Black Spot — This disease manifests itself by the appearance of 
small discolored areas on the surface of the cap. It is said to be due 
to improper watering and to lack of proper ventilation. 



Fungous Diseases — There are several fungous diseases of the 
mushroom, none of which, however, has been of serious importance 
in this country, and reference to them may, therefore, be omitted 
in this place. 

Mites — There are one or two species of mites constantly to be 
found in compost heaps, which may be injurious in the mushroom 
bed. They are seldom troublesome at a temperature of less than 
50 deg. F., as they are then more or less sluggish; and, although they 
may be found upon the mushroom, they do little or no harm. At a 
higher temperature they are supposed to destroy the spawn to a cer- 
tain extent and owing to their great numbers, they are at least objec- 
tiontable upon the mushrooms. 



Wood Lice, or "Sow Bugs." — These crustaceans, like the mites, 
are not of great importance where the conditions of temperature are 
favorable. The best methods of extermination are by trapping 
and poisoning them. This may be done by putting pieces of potato 
smeared with arsenic or Paris green, together with some dry rubbish, 
into tin cans or boxes placed on the side. Most of the sow bugs that 
enter these receptacles will be killed by eating the poison. 



Snails — Snails and slugs are frequently pests in mushroom grow- 
ing, but they may be readily trapped by the use of lettuce or cabbage 
leaves. 



Springtails — Springtails may become a source of great annoyance 
when mushrooms are grown in damp caves. As a rule, they can 
only establish themselves when carelessness has been shown in clean- 
ing out old bedding material. When once established they mul- 



tiply very rapidly, and the mushrooms are attacked by them in 
such numbers that within a day or two every appearance of fogging 
off is made manifest. These insects may be readily destroyed by 
fumigation with carbon bisulphide, but prevention is the wiser course. 



Larvae of Flies — With good manure and under suitable condi- 
tions larvae of mushroom flies are not usually injurious. Never- 
theless, the larvae of the little fly, Phora minuta, may be troublesome 
in warm weather. Fumigation, as previously suggested, may be 
of service in order that the life of a bed may be extended somewhat 
later into the warm season. 



14. Mushroom Spawn 

The mycelium of the cultivated mushroom has long been known 
commercially as "spawn." From early times it has been recognized 
that mushrooms may be grown from spawn, and it is quite certain 
that in all attempts to propogate mushrooms spawn has been used 
for the purpose. 



A "Chance" Method — For practical purposes it is necessary to 
renew the spawn and to secure, if possible, spawn which has not 
previously weakened itself by the production of mushrooms — known 
as virgin spawn. Natural virgin spawn may be found wherever "in 
nature" it has been possible for the spores to germinate and to 
produce a mycelium. 

Many attempts have been made by practical growers to develop 
spawn from spores, sowing the gill portions of mature mushrooms 
in specially constructed beds; but the results, so far as the writer 
is aware, have not been satisfactory. As a rule, therefore, growers 
have been compelled to rely wholly upon a virgin spawn which has 
been obtained by chance. It is said that in the vicinity of Paris 
some persons make a business of searching for this virgin spawn, 
which they sell to the growers at a high figure. 

However adept persons may become in the identification of var- 
ious varieties of spawn by odor, etc., this must be considered essen- 
tially a chance method. 



A "Selective" Method. — From what has been said it will be per- 
ceived that very little advancement could be made in the selection 
of desirable varieties of mushrooms, in varietal improvement and 
the like, so long as the chance method of securing spawn should 
prevail. 

The successful germination studies with chemical stimulation 
mentioned in this paper were soon overshadowed by the discovery 

19 



of the method of making tissue cultures. The use of the latter 
method has been the means of a sudden advancement in spawn 
making in this country during the past two years, for many prac- 
tical men have been quick to see the advantages which it offers. 

The pure culture method of making virgin spawn is not one 
which will prove 'successful in the hands of wholly inexperienced 
persons, or of those who are unwilling to spend time and use the 
utmost care in the manipulation of the cultures and the culture 
material. The use of pure-culture methods necessitates to a con- 
siderable extent a knowledge of the bacteria and molds which are 
everywhere present in the air and which are especially abundant 
wherever there are dusty or damp, moldy conditions. 



15. The Vitality of Mushroom Spawn 

Many of the early experiments in mushroom growing under- 
taken by the writer were made in the hope of bring able to ascer- 
tain the more frequent cause of failure and some of the chief diffi- 
culties encountered by American mushroom growers. The ordinary 
commercial (English) spawn used by amateurs, that is, such as is 
obtainable upon the market during the winter months, was pur- 
chased wherever possible. Samples of this spawn were placed 
under conditions which were supposed to be most favorable for 
growth. Nevertheless, in the majority of cases there was no indi- 
cation of the development of a new mycelium from the bricks of 
spawn thus obtained. 

Special importations of some of the commercial English and 
French spawns were made, and this was packed, shipped, and 
stored under conditions as favorable as may ordinarily obtain. 
This spawn was imported during the mid-winter and sorted until 
March or early April, when it was used in spawning some experi- 
mental beds. The conditions of the experiments were practically 
the same throughout, yet in not more than half the beds was there 
a favorable development of mushroom spawn. 



16. The Storage of Spawn 

It is possible to ruin good spawn by improper storage, even in 
a relatively short period of time. Spawn should be kept in a place 
that will be both cool and dry, but never hot and dry. This should 
be remembered by both seedsmen and growers, for many failures 
may, undoubtedly, be attributed to the improper storage to which 
the material has been subjected." 

From the reports of Dr. B. M. Duggar, Professor of Botany at the University of Columbia, and 
Collaborator of the Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

20 



Specimen of EDIBLE MUSHROOM VARIETIES 

Grown from 

"LAMBERT'S PURE CULTURE SPAWN" 




No. 11— Cream, (Columbia) 

(Agaricus Arvensis) 



Specimen of EDIBLE MUSHROOM VARIETIES 

Grown from 

"LAMBERT'S PURE CULTURE SPAWN" 




No. 12--Cream, (Columbia) 

(Agarkus Villaticus) 



17. Pure Culture Spawn 

The advent of pure culture (or tissue and spore culture) spawn 
marks an epoch in the history of mushroom culture. The import- 
ance of its discovery was immediately realized by the Department of 
Agriculture, who in turn brought it to the attention of the American 
growers. Selection and improvement in the varieties of the culti- 
vated mushroom are now possible. Where formerly the grower 
was compelled to buy wild seed (English or French spawn), manu- 
factured by the "chance" method, he is now in a position to buy 
pure culture spawn of the variety most suited to his markets and 
to the special conditions surrounding him. 

Pure culture spawn bears to English, French, and other wild 
spawn the relation that grafted or budded trees bear to fruit seed. 
The present method of manufacturing English and other wild 
spawn consists in gathering the mycelium wherever nature happens 
to have deposited it in its wild state, and "running" the same into 
bricks. No one, not even the manufacturer of this spawn, is able 
to tell what variety or varieties of mushrooms it will grow, in fact 
wild spawn contains a miscellaneous lot of varieties. Since a com- 
paratively small number of those are susceptible of cultivation at 
all, it is not at all surprising that so many experienced growers 
using foreign spawn are continuously meeting with total or partial 
failures in spite of their most intelligent efforts. 

Proceeding by selection and elimination, the pure culture method 
of manufacturing spawn admits of steady improvement in the 
varieties. Cultures are taken from choice specimens of desirable 
varieties known to be thoroughly acclimatized and selected with 
special reference to their hardiness, size, flavor, appearance, and 
prolificness. 

"Lambert's Pure Culture Spawn," grown by this "selective" 
method and manufactured by the American Spawn Company, St. 
Paul, Minn., was placed on the market immediately following the 
discovery of the pure culture method. Controlling nearly three 
acres of mushroom beds, this company possesses the all-important 
advantage of unlimited selection for its cultures. Only perfect 
specimens thoroughly acclimatized and capable of successful culti- 
vation are used. Every brick of its spawn is inspected before it 
leaves the yards, and none but the very best are shipped. "Lam- 
bert's Pure Culture Spawn" is, therefore, sure to "run" and pro- 
duce a uniform and vigorous crop of a desirable variety of mush- 
rooms, to the exclusion of other and inferior fungi. 



18. How and When to Order Spawn 

When your beds have reached the proper condition to be spawned, 
a delay of a few days is sure to be injurious, if not disastrous to 
your crop. The loss of temperature and moisture, incident to this 



delay, cannot be retrieved, and a measly crop or perhaps a failure 
is the inevitable result. 

It is a mistake to suppose that your dealer is always prepared 
to fill a rush order for spawn, and especially Pure Culture Spawn. 
The demand for Pure Culture Spawn, at present and for some time 
to come, will exceed the supply, and dealers can only obtain it from 
the manufacturers in limited quantities by placing their orders in 
advance and in excess ol their needs. A careful grower will place 
his order with his dealer at least sixty days before his beds are 
expected to be ready for the spawn. If, as is often the case the 
dealer has not in stock the kind of spawn or variety desired, he 
should be given time to order a fresh supply. Rush orders are 
filled with any stock on hand. 

A good method is to first address an inquiry to your dealer, ask- 
ing if he will be able to supply you with "Lambert's Pure Culture 
Spawn" of the American Spawn Co., St. Paul, Minn., naming the 
variety wanted, and whether or not he can positively make deliv- 
ery on or before a specified date (giving him from 30 to 60 days). 
This will give him time to procure a fresh stock, if not on hand, 
and at the same time indicate to him where to procure it. On a time 
order the chances are that you will receive the freshest spawn, spe- 
cially ordered for your purpose, while the old stock will be kept on 
hand to meet the rush orders. In fact, where orders are for one or 
more full cases, dealers may have shipments made direct to the 
grower from our warehouses in Philadelphia or in St. Paul. In 
this manner mistakes or substitution are avoided and fresh spawn 
guaranteed. 

Realizing that the discovery of Pure Culture Spawn will soon 
result in the abandonment of English and other forms of wild 
spawn, some importers of foreign wild spawns have attempted to 
meet the situation by offering, at a reduced price, English spawn 
under the name of "English Pure Culture Spawn." They are un- 
able, however, to name the specific variety of mushrooms which 
this so-called "English Pure Culture" spawn will produce. Since 
this is the fundamental distinction between pure culture spawn 
and wild spawn, the deception is easily exposed. 



19. Price of Pure Culture Spawn 



Pure Culture Spawn is more expensive than the old-fashioned 
English or wild spawn for the same reason that grafted trees cost 
more than wild seedlings. But the small additional outlay for the 
seed is repaid manifold in the abundance and quality of the crop, 
and the grower is absolutely certain that he is not raising poison- 
ous or undesirable varieties. An intelligent farmer could not be 
induced to plant wild seed, even if given to him, when improved 
seed is available. 

22 



Lambert's Pure Culture Spawn is now kept in stock by the lead- 
ing seedsmen of the United States and Canada, and while the 
retail price may vary with different dealers, the following schedule 
is generall)' followed: 

Standard Brtcks East of West of 

(Estimate one brick for about eight square feet of beds.) Missouri River Missouri River 

1 brick, by mail, postpaid $ -40 $ .40 

2 bricks, by mail, postpaid -70 .70 

5 bricks, by express, not prepaid 1 . 00 1 . 20 

10 bricks, by express or freight, not prepaid 1 .80 2.00 

25 bricks, by express or freight, not prepaid 4.25 4.80 

50 bricks, by express or freight, not prepaid 8.00 9.00 

80 bricks, (one-half case), by freight, not prepaid 12.00 13.50 

100 bricks, by express or freight, not prepaid 15.00 17.00 

160 bricks, (one full case) by express or freight, not prepaid 22.40 24.00 

Should your dealer be unable to supply you, please advise us, 
mentioning his name and enclosing remittance according to the 
above scale of prices. We will then transmit your order for im- 
mediate shipment to some other reliable dealer in your neighbor- 
hood whom we know to be supplied with a fresh stock of "Lam- 
bert's Pure Culture Spawn." 

One brick of "Lambert's Pure Culture Spawn" weighs from 
1 1-4 to 1 1-3 pounds, and will be sufficient to spawn about one 
square yard of bed. 

The prices above given are for the standard varieties of the cul- 
tivated mushrooms which are herein mentioned or illustrated. 

Bricks of "Lambert's Pure Culture Spawn" are of two kinds, 
standard bricks and direct bricks. The "standard brick" is in- 
oculated from a pure culture transfer. The "direct brick" is in- 
oculated directly from the pure culture, as raised in the laboratory, 
without intermediate transfer. 

By reason of the increased laboratory work involved, an addi- 
tional charge of 3 cents per brick above the price of standard bricks 
is made for the direct bricks. Growers should bear in mind this 
distinction in ordering from dealers and specify the kind of bricks 
wanted. 

20. Pure Culture Varieties 



The following standard varieties of Lambert's Pure Culture 
Spawn have been developed and placed on the market. 

Agaricus Campestris 

Catalogue No. 5, Brown (Bohemia), prolific, grows in clusters, 
(Not illustrated.) 

Catalogue No. 6, White (Alaska), similar to No. 9, heavier 
stem. (Not illustrated.) 

23 



Catalogue No. 7 , Brown (Bohemia), a hardy variety and good 
producer, very heavy. (Illustrated.) 

Catalogue No. 8, Cream White, a hardy variety, pretty shape 
and prolific, to be preferred for summer planting. (Illustrated.) 

Catalogue No. 9, White (Alaska), a good seller in eastern mar- 
kets. (Illustrated.) 

Catalogue No. 10, Light Brown (Bohemia), a heavy and fleshy 
mushroom. (Illustrated.) 



Agaricus Arvensis 

Catalogue No. 11, Cream (Columbia), very similar to No. S, 
but larger and slightly darker. (Illustrated.) 



Agaricus Villaticus 

Catalogue No. 12, Cream (Columbia) large and very fleshy. 
(Illustrated.) 

Careful tests and experiments in the development of other var- 
ieties, including the "Morel" (Morchella Esculenta) and the giant 
Puffball, are under way, while the varieties already developed are 
being steadily improved. 



21. Trade Mark 



To guide against substitution and for other reasons which may 
be surmised, we are compelled to hereafter stamp each brick of 
"Lambert's Pure Culture Spawn" with our trade mark, the letters 
PC enclosed in a diamond, (not a circle, heart or square). 

LAMBERT'S 




TFtADK MARK 



Growers will confer a favor upon us by advising us of every 
instance where our spawn cannot be procured from a reliable seeds- 
man or where they suspect that other spawn has been substituted. 
We don't sell or ship any but fresh and high-grade spawn and, 
with the co-operation of the reliable dealers, it is our aim to pro- 



24 




"Pure Culture Spawn" 




L.F.LAMBERT • ST. PAUL -MINNESOTA 
MUSHROOM SPAWN 







Highest Award Universal Exposition, St. Louis, 1904 



tect the growers against the discouraging failures and losses which 
are frequently imposed upon them by unscrupulous persons in the 
sale of stale or worthless spawn. 



22. Special Hints on Cultivation 

MOISTURE. — The mushroom demands a moist atmosphere, 
and yet the direct application of water to the growing crop, and 
especially to the young spawn, is always injurious. To overcome 
this difficulty it is recommended to sprinkle, at frequent intervals, 
the walls, floors, boards, etc., surrounding the beds. If water is 
applied to the beds, it should be distributed in a fine spray. The 
beds should be moist, but not wet. 

VENTILATION.— Fresh air is essential to the perfect and 
healthy development of the mushroom crop, but draughts are to 
be strictly avoided. Draughts cause too rapid evaporation of the 
beds, which cannot well be restored to a moist condition except by 
the direct and more or less injurious application of water in quan- 
tities. Draughts will also injure the growing crop of mushrooms, 
causing the caps to check and crack, and to assume a darker color. 
This may, in a measure, explain why a bed of white mushrooms 
will sometimes darken as the crop advances, the beds having lost too 
much moisture by evaporation. In a dry atmosphere, a short and 
imperfect crop only can be gathered. 

CASING. — Many growers, especially beginners, make the mis- 
take of casing their beds too soon, often immediately after spawn- 
ing. If, for any reason, the bed is not in a condition favorable to 
the development of the spawn, the casing under these circumstances 
will aggravate the evil and kill the young spawn. Should the bed 
be too wet or too acid when spawned, a delay in the casing will 
allow the surface to evaporate or oxydize enough to start the spawn. 
The loam should therefore not be applied until the spawn is ob- 
served to run well in the beds. It must not, however, be inferred 
that the casing can be dispensed with or even delayed too long. 
Without a casing of loam, spawn will not head. It will continue 
to run in the beds until it dies. The loam furnishes the medium 
unfavorable to the further development of the spawn, which causes 
it to head and come to fruition. 



23. An Easy Method for the Amateur 

The complex questions involved in the successful cultivation of 
the mushroom often discourage the beginner. For the benefit of 
amateurs, who principally desire immediate results with least 
amount of trouble, we recommend the following method: 

25 



Mix in a barn or shed, where material will not freeze during 
the manipulation, 6 bushels fresh horse manure, free from long 
straws, with two bushels of good garden loam. Manure should 
be fresh, not dried, and loam should be moist. If material is fresh 
no addition of water is necessary. Leave a few days, provided 
there is no danger of hard frost, which would freeze the material 
into cakes. 

Build a small box or partition in your cellar 1 yard square, 12 
inches high. Bring in the material and spread one bushel at a 
time evenly in the box; tamp it firmly with a brick. Then bring 
in the next bushel, and so on. 

Ascertain the temperature of the bed at frequent intervals, us- 
ing a dairy thermometer or special mushroom thermometer. When 
temperature of the bed has fallen to 75 degrees F., plant the spawn, 
breaking the brick into 8 or 10 pieces, inserting a piece in the center 
of each square foot of bed, 2 inches below the surface. Cover 
and tamp the holes. Then cover the bed with about 4 inches of 
clean straw, and if convenient, with an old piece of carpet. 

After 10 or 12 days remove the straw and spread 1 to 1 3^ inches of 
fresh loam over the bed, tamp gently and replace the straw and 
carpet. After about 40 days mushrooms will commence to ap- 
pear. The temperature of the cellar should nor rise above 60 de- 
grees nor fall below 50 degrees F. 

The quantities above mentioned are based upon one square yard 
of bed for which one brick of "Lambert's Pure Culture Spawn" 
is required. For larger beds increase the quantities proportionately. 



24. How to Cook Mushrooms 

To the true epicure there are but four ways of cooking mush- 
rooms — broiling, roasting, frying them in sweet butter, and stew- 
ing them in cream. 

In preparing fresh mushrooms for cooking, wash them as little 
as possible, as washing robs them of their delicate flavor. Always 
bear in mind that the more simply mushrooms are cooked the bet- 
ter they are. Like all delicate flavored foods, they are spoiled by 
the addition of strongly flavored condiments. 

BROILED MUSHROOMS.— Select fine, large, flat mushrooms, 
and be sure that they are fresh. If they are dusty, just dip them in 
cold salt water. Then lay them on cheese cloth and let them drain 
thoroughly. When they are dry, cut off the stem quite close to the 
comb. Or, what is better, carefully break off the stem. Do not 
throw away the stems. Save them for stewing for soup or for 
mushroom sauce. Having cut or broken off the stems, take a sharp 
silver knife and skin the mushrooms, commencing at the edge and 
finishing at th'e top. Put them on a gridiron that has been well 



rubbed with sweet butter. Lay the mushrooms on the broiling iron 
with the combs upward. Put a small quantity of butter, a little 
salt and pepper in the center of each comb from where the stem 
has been removed, and let the mushroom remain over the fire until 
the butter melts. Then serve them on thin slices of buttered and 
well browned toast, which should be cut round or diamond shape. 
Serve the mushrooms just as quickly as possible after they are 
broiled, as they must be eaten when hot. So nourishing are broiled 
mushrooms that with a light salad they form a. sufficient luncheon 
for anyone. 



FRESH MUSHROOMS BAKED.— The following is Juliet 
Carson's recipe for baked mushrooms, and it is an excellent one: 

Carefully cleanse the mushrooms as in the directions for broil- 
ing. Cut as many slices of bread as there are mushroom caps, 
trimming off the crust, and having each slice about two inches 
square. Lay the slices of bread in a baking pan and spread each 
slice with butter. Sprinkle each slice with a little salt and pepper. 
Next put on each slice of bread one or two mushrooms — just enough 
to cover the bread. Put the pan in a hot oven for five minutes. 
Then draw the pan to the front of the oven and season the mush- 
rooms with salt and pepper and put a piece of butter as large as 
a hazel nut in each mushroom cap. Return the pan to the oven and 
finish baking the mushrooms, which are done as soon as tender. 
Serve them on the bread on a very hot platter. 



FRIED MUSHROOMS.— Clean and prepare the mushrooms 
as for broiling. Put some sweet, unsalted butter in a frying pan — 
enough to swim the mushrooms in. Stand the frying pan on a 
quick fire, and when the butter is at boiling heat, carefully drop the 
mushrooms in and let them fry three minutes, and serve them on 
thin slices of buttered toast. 

Serve a sauce of lemon juice, a little melted butter, salt and red 
pepper with fried mushrooms. 



STEWED MUSHROOMS— Stewed mushrooms after the fol- 
lowing recipe make one of the most delicious of breakfast dishes. 
It is not necessary to use large mushrooms for stewing — small but- 
ton ones will do. Take the mushrooms left in the basket after hav- 
ing selected those for broiling, and also use the stems cut from the 
mushrooms prepared for broiling. After cleaning and skinning 
them put them in cold water with a little vinegar, and let them stand 
half an hour. If you have a quart of mushrooms, put a tablespoon- 
ful of nice fresh butter in a stew pan and stand it on the stove. When 
the butter begins to bubble drop the mushrooms in the pan, and after 
they have cooked a minute season them well with salt and black 
pepper. Now take hold of the handle of the stew pan and, while 



the mushrooms are gently and slowly cooking, shake the pan almost 
constantly to keep the butter from getting brown and the mushrooms 
from sticking. After they have cooked eight minutes pour in enough 
rich, sweet cream to cover the mushrooms to the depth of half an 
inch, and let them cook about eight or ten minutes longer. Serve 
them in a very hot vegetable dish. Do not thicken the cream with 
flour or with anything. Just cook them in this simple way. You 
will find them perfect. 

MUSHROOM STEW— Fed, cut up and wash. Stew in a little 
butter with red pepper, salt and a very little garlic. When soft add 
the milk and allow to stew some more. Set off the fire and beat a 
few eggs in the stew. Serve. 

MUSHROOM PATTIES— Mushrooms are now often served at 
fashionable parties in the form of patties, very much on the style 
of oyster patties. Peel and cut in small pieces two pounds of nice 
fresh mushrooms. Add one-half cup of butter, pepper and salt, 
and one cup of rich, sweet cream. Stew for 12 minutes. When 
done sprinkle a small tablespoon of flour over them to thicken. 
This will fill about 20 patties. 

MUSHROOM SANDWICHES— Peel one pound of mushrooms 
and chop real fine. Stew for 10 minutes with butter, the size of an 
egg y and pepper and salt. 

Toast about 20 thin slices of bread. Butter them and insert the 
hot stewed mushrooms. Trim the crust and cut diagonally in the 
shape of triangles. Serve real hot. 

DEVILED MUSHROOMS— Chop one quart of mushrooms, sea- 
son with salt and pepper, and a little lemon juice; mix the yolk of 
two hard boiled eggs and two raw ones, stir in a pint of bread crumbs 
and a tablespoonful of butter. Fill baking-shells with the mixture, 
cover with bread crumbs and bits of butter. Bake a nice brown. 



MUSHROOMS AND TOMATOES— Toast some slices of bread, 
cut them into round pieces two inches in diameter, and butter them. 
Peel some firm tomatoes, cut in thick slices, and lay them on the 
toast. On top of each place a peeled mushroom. Put them in a 
dish that can go on the table, pour a little clarified butter over them, 
put them in a hot oven for five or eight minutes, baste well and serve. 

BROWN MUSHROOM SAUCE— Make a brown sauce, add to 
it one pint of fresh common mushrooms, simmer gently for fifteen 
minutes. Take from the fire and add wine if you use it. Some 
think a little mace or nutmeg an improvement, or a little Harvey 
sauce. 



CREAM MUSHROOM SAUCE— -Make a sauce, and add one 
cup of fresh common mushrooms chopped fine, cook in a double 
boiler for ten minutes. Stems chopped fine may be used for this 



sauce. 



MUSHROOM SOUP— Take a good quantity of the mushrooms, 
cut off the lower ends, and wash and peel, then put them in stew-pan 
with butter, pepper and salt and a little stock, stir until tender, 
take off and chop in small pieces; prepare a good stock as for any 
soup, and add it to the mushrooms and the liquor they have been 
stewed in. Boil all together and serve. The stems only may be 
used for this soup with success. 



ROASTED MUSHROOMS— Cut the larger specimens into fine 
pieces and place them in a small dish, with salt, pepper and butter 
to taste; put in about two tablesponfuls of water, then fill the dish 
with half-open specimens and buttons; cover tightly and place in 
oven (which must not be overheated,) for about ten of fifteen min- 
utes. The juice of the larger mushrooms will keep. 



ESCALLOPED MUSHROOMS— Make a sauceof one tablespoon- 
ful of butter and one of flour, and two cupfuls of chicken broth or 
white stock; add to this the chopped stalks of a pint of mushrooms; 
reduce the same one-half, add a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, 
pepper and salt. Turn this sauce in to a shallow baking dish, 
put in as many mushrooms as will fill the dish, placing them close to- 
gether, gills up, put a piece of butter on each and sprinkle the tops 
with crumbs and place in an oven for ten minutes, or until tender and 
serve hot. 



CURRIED MUSHROOMS— Stew a quart of button mushrooms 
for about twenty minutes in enough good stock to cover them well, 
add a tablespoonful of butter, thicken with a teaspoonful of curry 
powder and a tablespoonful of flour, boil slowly for ten minutes longer, 
and just before taking from the fire add half a cupful of cream; serve 
hot on a dish with slices of toast. 



MUSHROOMS A LA B ORDELAISE— Choose some big, firm 
fresh mushrooms; peel, wash and drain them; make one or two slits 
on the top side of the mushrooms. Soak for an hour and a half in 
fine oil; pepper and salt. Broil them, turning when half cooked, so 
that each side may be equally broiled. Warm the oil in which the 
mushrooms have been soaked. Season with finely chopped onion 
and parsley. Dish the mushrooms and sprinkle with a few drops of 
vinegar or lemon juice, and pour the hot oil over them. 

29 



25. How to Preserve Mushrooms 

DRIED MUSHROOMS — Take medium sized mushrooms, wash 
and peel them for immediate use. Place them for a few moments 
in boiling water to which has been added a little vinegar or lemon 
juice, to keep the mushrooms from turning black. It is claimed by- 
some that distilled water is preferrable. The use of salt must be 
avoided on account of its hygrometric properties. The mushrooms 
being taken from the boiling water, are drained and then strung 
up on stout twine, bead like, in a shed or well ventilated room. 
Except in warm or dry climates, desiccation must be completed by 
placing the mushrooms in a moderately heated oven. In drying, 
the mushroom loses more or less of its flavor or aroma. Before using 
dried mushrooms they are first soaked in lukewarm water. 



MUSHROOM CONDIMENT— Proceed as above, but force the 
desiccation. The dried mushrooms are then reduced to powder on 
a line rasp, and preserved in closed jars. The powder of several varieties 
mixed with 5 or 10 per cent of truffle powder prepared in the same 
manner, forms a condiment which is greatly esteemed by epicures. 



MUSHROOMS IN OIL— Peel and prepare the mushrooms as 
above, bleach in boiling water and drain. Place them in a jar and 
fill with olive oil or melted butter. When the jar is cool it is sealed 
and stored in a cool place. Though more expensive this process 
preserves the flavor and aroma of the mushroom. 



MUSHROOM KETCHUP— Take two pounds of fresh mushrooms, 
clean and peel them carefully. Cut in very thin slices and dispose 
in an earthern dish, each layer sprinkled with fine salt. On the top 
layer spread about four tablespoons of fresh walnut husks, finely 
chopped. Allow to macerate for four or five days in the cellar. 
When nearly melted pass through clean cloth. Reduce on slow fire 
to about half its volume; add its weight of calf's feet jelly, season 
with pepper and laurel and reduce to consistence of jelly. Preserve 
in a cool place. 



PRESERVED MUSHROOMS— Lambert's Process— -Take fresh 
clean mushrooms, peel and place them in cold water containing 3^2 
pound salt to the gallon, this is to prevent discoloring. Drain off 
the water and stew the mushrooms until they have reduced in bulk 
about 40 per cent. This only takes a few minutes. Put up in jars 
and cover the mushrooms with their own juice (for commercial pur- 
poses drain off the juice and fill with clear boiling water, this gives 
them a white appearance,) screw on the cover loosely, boil for 30 
minutes and immediately screw the cover tight. Stand the jars 



on their head for 24 hours to detect leakage, then boil again for 
one hour. This second boiling should be done exactly 24 hours after 
the first. The leaking jars should be processed over again. The 
glass jars should be protected from direct contact with the bottom 
of the boiler. 



26. Poisonous and Edible Mushrooms 
By Dr. W. G. FARLOW, Harvard University. 

The difference between the .common edible mushroom and the 
fly agaric and deadly agaric, which the reader can easily remember, 
are as follows: 

(1) The common mushroom has a pileus which is not covered 
with wart-like scales; gills which are brownish purple when mature; 
a nearly cylindrical stalk, which is not hollow, with a ring near the 
middle, and without a bulbous base sheathed by a membrane or 
by scales. 

(2) The fly agaric has a pileus marked with prominent warts; 
gills always white; a stalk, with a large ring around the upper part, 
and hollow or cottony inside, but solid at the base, where it is bul- 
bous and scaly. 

(3) The deadly agaric has a pileus without distinct warts; gills 
are always white, and a hollow stalk, with a large ring, and a promi- 
nent bulb at the base, whose upper margin is membraneous or bag- 
like. 



(4) Other minor points of difference are the different places in 
which these species grow, and also the colors, which, although they 
vary in each case, are brilliant yellow or red in the fly agaric, white 
varying to olive in the deadly agaric, and white usually tinged with 
a little brown in the mushroom. 



(5) A word should be said as to the size and proportions of pileus 
and stalk in these three species. In the mushroom the pileus aver- 
ages from 3 to 4 inches in breadth, and the stalk is generally shorter 
than the breadth of the pileus and comparatively stout. The pileus 
remains convex for a long time, and does not become quite flat topped 
until old. The substance is firm and solid. In the fly agaric the 
pileus, at first oval and convex, soon becomes flat and attains a 
breadth of 6 to S inches and sometimes more. The stalk has a 



AUQ 23(1913 

length equal to or slightly exceeding the breadth of the pileus, and 
is comparatively slenderer than in the common mushroom, but 
nevertheless, rather stout. The substance is less firm than in the 
common mushroom. 



(6) The pileus of the deadly agaric is thinner than that of the 
common mushroom, and, from being rather bell-shaped when young, 
becomes gradually flat-topped with the center a little raised. In 
breadth it is intermediate between the two preceding species. The 
stalk usually is longer than the breadth of the pileus, and the habit 
is slenderer than in the two preceding species. All three species are 
pleasant to the taste, which shows that one cannot infer that a species 
is not poisonous because the taste is agreeable. The fly agaric has 
scarcely any odor. The other two species have certain odors of 
their own, but they cannot be described. 



27. Our Publications 

Earnest co-operation and a candid exchange of views between 
the spawn manufacturer, the dealer and the grower will result in 
mutual advantage and protection. It is our purpose to compile and 
publish from time to time the latest information on the subject of 
mushroom culture and mushroom spawn, together with the results 
of practical experiments. We would therefore welcome any sug- 
gestions or criticism on the part of the growers and dealers which 
may be of interest or value. Our exceptional facilities permit us 
to give any reasonable suggestion a practical test, and to impart 
to the growers generally the information thus acquired. 

Growers or amateurs who are sufficiently interested in the subject 
of such further publications will be entered on our free mailing list 
upon receipt of their name in full, with postoffice address, together 
with the name and address of their dealer. A change of address 
should be promptly communicated to the American Spawn Company, 
St. Paul, Minn. 



f 



Suggestions to Dealers 



1. Storage. It should be remembered by both seedsmen and growers, 
that many failures may be attributed to the improper storage of spawn, for 
good spawn may be ruined in a relatively short period by carelessness in that 
respect. Spawn should be kept in a place that will be both cool and dry. 
It will stand a low temperature without material injury. When properly 
stored, spawn will retain its vitality for at least one year. If much older, 
the dealer should disclose that fact to his customer. We guarantee all our 
spawn to be absolutely fresh and in prime condition when leaving our yards. 
We inspect every brick and ship none but the best. 

2. Freight Rates. Brick spawn is rated as fourth class (Western classi- 
fication) and third class (Official classification) ; in carload lots it is rated as 
fifth class in both jurisdictions. The rate St. Paul to Chicago is 25 cents 
LCL and 20 cents CL per 100 lbs. St. Paul to Philadelphia and Philadel- 
phia points, 73 cents LCL; to New York, 75 cents LCL; to Boston, 82 cents. 
Examine your freight bills. 

3. Bricks, Boxes, Etc. Each brick of "Lambert's Pure Culture Spawn" 
measures 9 inches in length, 5M inches in width, and is about 1% inches 
thick. Our bricks weigh from 134 to 1% pounds and are packed in boxes 
containing about 160 bricks, more or less, and weighing about 225 lbs., in- 
cluding package. Each case is stenciled and distinctly numbered, and by 
reference to this number the original culture from which the spawn was pro- 
duced can be traced in our records. We do not break packages or sell by 
weight. 

4. Our Eastern Depot. Our eastern depot is located at Philadelphia. 
On shipments from that point an additional charge of one cent per brick is 
made to cover cost of transportation from St. Paul to Philadelphia at carload 
rates. 



American Spawn Company 

ST. PAUL, MINN. 



I Cable Address: "SPAWN, ST. PAUL.' ' 



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